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And why we pay too little for well travelled food

Speaking of eating locally, I've neglected to keep you apprised of the latest developments of our heroes to the North, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, who are living on a hundred-mile diet.

In part four, Alisa and J.B. write about the hidden costs of food, China's agro ambitions, and Vancouver's bright spots.

In part five, our dynamic duo heads oustide of their comfort zone to northern British Columbia, where they discover that following the hundred-mile diet isn't as hard as they thought it would be.

New foody blogs

I recently stumbled on a couple of nice new blogs. Life Begins at 30 revolves around the challenges and joys of eating local -- start with this nice, tidy list of reasons to eat local food. Then there's Bitter Greens Journal, a blog about the evils of industrial agriculture that recently attracted the attention of the mighty Monsanto. Enjoy.

Are your kids ready for Armageddon?

While doing a little research this morning, I stumbled on possibly the weirdest web page ever: FEMA For Kids.

Yes, that's right: You're never too young to learn how dangerous and scary the world can be! With friendly guides like Herman the Spokescrab and Julia and Robbie: The Disaster Twins, kids of all ages can learn how to freak out prepare for anything.

Does anyone else remember a time when kids weren't just miniature grown-ups? When there was a little innocence left? Am I just imagining things?

A first-hand account from the Gulf Coast

Good God. Read this first-hand account of the Gulf Coast rescue and cleanup operations from a contractor who works with the EPA. Here's a tidbit:

This contractor has been organizing reverse osmosis (RO) water purification units from all over the country since last Tuesday. He has over 100 units of various sizes available to move into the region, but no one will give the go ahead. No one will sign their name to a piece of paper for fear of recriminations later. He says that over 80 million pint bottles of water have been purchased at $0.75 each. The RO units can produce a gallon of water from contaminated water for $0.01 and they can produce thousands of gallons a day. Two are staged near the zone and these alone can produce 250,000 gallons per day. The Army has RO units, but every functional one, and every operator trained to use them, is in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Slow Katrina evacuation fits pattern of injustice during crises

Much of the world — including white America — has been shocked by the devastation in New Orleans, and by the ongoing failures it has exposed at every possible level of government. Even normally unflappable TV news anchors and politicians have been moved to outrage, asking why those left behind were mostly black, poor, disabled, […]

Interview with Treehugger’s Graham Hill

Via TriplePundit, a short interview with Graham Hill, founder and proprietor of Treehugger.

Stuck in the Middle With Fruit

New “sustainable” label may compete with pricey organic label Tired of paying a premium for organic fruits and veggies? A coalition of farmers, environmentalists, and public officials is promoting an alternative that they say will be less costly: a “sustainable” certification system and label. The system sets standards for water quality, soil management, and wildlife […]

Romancing the Stove

States sue DOE, press for energy-saving standards for appliances New York City and 15 states have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Energy, saying the agency has failed to update energy-saving standards for nearly two dozen household appliances — changes that would save gobs of energy. According to the suit, the DOE has violated […]

Net Loss

Katrina has wiped out Louisiana’s fishing industry This should be the height of Louisiana’s shrimp and oyster season, but the state’s $2.7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry may be another casualty of Hurricane Katrina. The region’s fishers, shrimpers, and oyster harvesters typically supply the U.S. with about 30 percent of its seafood, and the industry employs […]

U Can’t Touch This

EPA warns against skin contact with toxic New Orleans floodwaters The floodwaters swamping New Orleans have become a filthy, toxic stew, testing at least 10 times over the U.S. EPA’s limits for sewage-related contaminants like E. coli, viruses, and cholera-like bacteria. The EPA has warned that skin contact with floodwater could be almost as risky […]